Sterne-Hoya House Museum and Library
This dogtrot house – the oldest residence in Nacogdoches on its original site – was home to one of the Revolution’s more colorful characters. A German immigrant, Adolphus Sterne, became a smuggler and financier for the independence movement. He raised and personallyfinanced a military unit – about 120 men – called the New Orleans Greys. Unlike most Texian volunteers, these Southerners looked like soldiers – with neat grey uniforms and well-maintained guns.
At this house, Sterne treated the enthusiastic recruits – seated at a 150-foot-long table – to a feast that included a recently killed, partially dressed black bear, complete with “hide and bones, meat and claws,” according to one attendee. Cheered by the food, corn liquor, and patriotic appeals, the next day the Greys pushed on for Béxar - and, soon, other momentous battles.